Busselton player's love of women's football stretches around the world

Now we think we have found the most passionate player of all.

Busselton scientist Rachel Paterson began her football career in the South West in 2003 and has now taken the game all the way to the United Kingdom.

Paterson was introduced to Australian Rules when she joined the year 10 team at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School and when she moved to Perth for university, she continued to play for the UWA University Games team and the Claremont Women’s Football Club.

Her talents saw her represent WA at the national championships from 2007 to 2009 and play for the Claremont Women’s Football Club for five years.

“Growing up in Busselton, I was fortunate enough to get to play lots of sport and I made really good friends doing it,” Paterson said.

“When I started playing football at the age of 14, I felt excited that I had discovered a sport that I loved so much.”

Having completed a degree in advanced science at the University of Western Australia majoring in genetics and biochemistry and an honours project at Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital, Paterson was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford.

Leaving her friends and family in Australia behind for the education opportunity of a lifetime, Paterson was keen to continue her association with the sport she loves.

“Before I came to Oxford I got in touch with the men’s Oxford University Australian Rules Football Club to see how I could get involved,” she said.

“They were really supportive and excited at the prospect of starting a women’s team.

“I have also been involved with the men’s team running the bench and acting as an assistance coach.

“A lot of the players are new to the sport so I also offer advice about skills and tactics for them.”

The Oxford and Cambridge men’s teams have a rich competitive history, first taking to the oval in 1911 for a match.

A newspaper report in Kalgoorlie said the game was easily won by Oxford but the British crowd, familiar with soccer being a game of two halves instead of four quarters, all left at half time thinking the match was over.

Paterson has played a key role in scheduling women’s games for the Oxford side against a combined London and Birmingham team and hopes that Cambridge will soon put together their own team of ladies.

“There is a women’s Australian Football league starting in London for the first time in April and we hope to play for one of the London teams during their season,” she said.

“There is also a women’s division in the AFL Europe Cup which last year included women’s team from Ireland, England, Scotland, France and Denmark so there are opportunities for our female players to compete at an international level.”

Paterson said she hopes that Australian football is soon seen as not just a sport for men but a sport for any gender, ethnicity and nationality.

“I hope that girls and women feel just as empowered to try it out and play as boys and men do,” she said.

“I look forward to the day when each AFL club has a women’s team with matches televised and supported across the nation.”

To celebrate the centenary of women’s football in Australia, Bunbury will play host to a number of events this weekend.

Female students will have an opportunity to learn some new skills with free clinics run by WA’s best coaches on Saturday.

This will be followed on Sunday by a satellite exhibition of female football memorabilia, the Gary Johnston Memorial Cup match between Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School and Presbyterian Ladies College and a match featuring the WA women’s elite squad.

The event is free for the public to attend at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School’s Palmer Oval and Tony Brooker Pavilion from 11am. 

Venue: Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School – Palmer Oval and Tony Brooker Pavilion.

Saturday, March 28

10.30am: Free Primary Clinic – open to South West Primary school girls

1pm: Free Secondary Clinic – open to South West Secondary school girls

3pm: Free Elite Clinic – open to South West girls

Sunday, March 29

11am: Gary Johnston Memorial Cup match between Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School and Presbyterian Ladies College

1pm: South West Bouncedown exhibition official opening

2pm: WAWFL Exhibition Match